Vending apparatus.



No. 717,721. PATENTBD JAN. 6, 1903.

L. J. SMITH & s. .1; BROWN; VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1901.

H0 MODEL.

2 BH EBTSBHEET 1.

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, PATENTED JAN. a, 1903.

L. J. SMITH & s. JLBROWN.

' VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATIOK FILED SEPT. 26, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

s in 19-1 3010? hawk UNITED STATES LEl/VIS J. SMITH AND SAMUEL J.

BROWN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed September 25, 1901. derial No. 76,529;

To ctZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEWIS J. SMITH and SAMUEL J. BROWN, citizens of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in vending-machines of that class in which nuts, confections, and like articles in bulk are exposed to view and delivered from the machine after the insertion of a coin and the operation of the delivering mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this class which will insure the delivery of a measured quantity of salted peanuts or loose confections, which may be placed in the machine in bulk.

A further object is to provide for the positive locking of the operating mechanism by the insertion of a coin.

A still further object of the invention is to improve, simplify, and cheapen the construction of machines of this class, as more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a coincontrolled vending-machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the delivery mechanism on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 4: 4, Fig. 1, showing the method of locking the delivery mechanism through the operating-shaft. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the delivery-slide. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the toothed segment for operating said slide. Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of a coin-receiving hopper secured to the operating-shaft and adapted to be locked to the delivery mechanism by the insertion of a coin.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

5 designates a lower box or casing for the reception of the coin-operated delivery mechanism, and 6 a receptacle forming a supply- Patent No. 717,721, dated January 6, 1903.

(No model.)

chamber for the delivery of the articles to be ,vended.

The casing 5 is supported uponsuitable legs 7 and is preferably formed of a lower and side castings, surmounted by a top plate 8, hopper-like in form and having a central opening 9. From the corners of the plate 8 extend grooved corner-posts 10, in which are fitted side and end plates 11, preferably of glass, so that the contents of the chamber 6 will be exposed to view. At the top of the corner-posts is a rim 12, surmounted by a removable cover 13, which may be locked-in position by a suitable-lock 14, the cover being removed whenever it becomes necessary to replenish the supply of goods in the chamber 6. The various parts of the structure are firmly held together by suitable corner-bolts 15, passing from the upper rim 12 to the basepiece-of the casing 5.

Extending longitudinally of the upper portion of the center of the casing 5 is a guidingtable 16, having" suitable side -flanges for the reception and support of a delivery-slide 17. At the front of the table is an opening 18, leading to a delivery-chute l9, and at the rear of said table is an opening 20, through which maybe discharged fine particles of candy or fragments of the nuts which may accumulate on the table. In the forward end of the slide 17 is an opening 21, forming a chamber adapted to contain a predetermined quantity of goods to be sold for a predetermined value. Saidopening is normally in position beneath the opening 9 in the bottom of the chamber .6 and is adapted to receive from said chamber the nuts orcandy and to deliver the same through the opening 18, the slide being reciprocated by suitable mechanism between these two points after each insertion of a coin.

In order to insure the filling of the delivery-opening and to prevent clogging, an agitator'22 is employed. This device is in the form of a loop of spring-wire, having its opposite ends secured to the opposite ends of the delivery-slide and its intermediate or looped portion being Within the chamber 6. It will be seen that at each reciprocation of the delivery-slide the loop will be moved up and down and to and fro in the chamber, so that any clogging of the outlet-opening is prevented and a quantity of loosened nuts or candy will be in readiness to fall into the opening 21 on the return of the delivery-slide from the discharge-opening 18. On one side of the discharge-slide is secured a rack-bar 23, the teeth of which are adapted to be engaged by a toothed segment 24 to effect the operation of said slide.

25 designates a shaft extending transversely of the apparatus and adapted to suitable bearings therein. One end of the shaft extends through the casing and at a point outside of the casing is provided with a cranked operating-handle 26, having a fixed limit of movement between two stops 27 and 28, formed integral with the casing 5. Secured rigidly to the shaft 25 is a coin-receiving hopper 29, open at top'and bottom, its upper open mouth being normally in alinement with a coin-slot 30, the upper end of which extends out through the upper portion of the casing 5. At one side of the upper end of the coin-slot is a finger-piece 31 to facilitate the insertion of a coin in the slot, the coin to be inserted being pressed against the finger-piece and being guided into the mouth of the slot, from whence it falls into the hopper 29.

The segment 24, previously referred to, is provided with a hub 32, loosely mounted on the shaft 25. At one side of the segment the hub is provided with a slot 34, extending circumferentially of the hub parallel with the segment 24. Projecting from the shaft 25 is a pin 35, adapted to said slot and at each operation engaging with one of the end Walls thereof for the purpose of returning the seg ment and the delivery-slide to their initial position. On the side of the hub opposite slot 34 a portion of said hub equal to about onehalf of the circumference is cut away, forming an abrupt shoulder 36, and the shaft at this point and beneath the coin-hopper 29 is also cut away to form a slot 37. Normally when the parts are in inoperative position the coin-hopper 29, the shoulder 36, and the slot 37 of the shaft are in alinement and in readiness to receive a penny or other coin which may drop through the coin-chute. A coin thus entered will lock together the hopper, the hub 32, and the shaft 25, and as the hopper is carried by the shaft the latter will have practically two points of contact in engagement with the coin, one above and one below the shoulder 36 of the hub. When the shaft is turned by the crank 26, the hub is rotated therewith, causing the segment 24 to effect a reciprocation of the slide 17 toward the front of the machine until the delivery-opening 21 registers With the opening 18 above the discharge-chute and the contents of the slide are delivered to the exterior of the machine. On the release of the operating-crank the coin falls into a receptacle 40, and the various parts are returnedto initial position by a torsionspring 41, surrounding one end of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 2. Any premature discharge of the coin during the turning of the operating-crank is prevented by a curved guardstrip 42, carried by the casin The pin 35 on the shaft 25 is normally in contact with the rear end wall of the slot 34, and when the machine is returning to its initial position the movement of the shaft under the impulse of the spring 41 is imparted to the hub and segment by said pin. Should the crank 26 be turned without previously inserting a coin, the pin would simply travel on the slot 34 Without imparting any movement whatever to the segment 24.

The slot 37 of the shaft is of such character as to engage with a standard-size coin of proper value, as a penny or nickel; but any smaller-size coin or blank will pass through the slot and fall into the coin-receptacle, thus preventing the operation of the machine except by a proper coin.

Although the preferred construction of the device is that herein described and illustrated, it is apparent that many changes may be made in the form, proportions, and size of the apparatus without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a coin-controlled apparatus, a receptacle for the goods, a discharge-opening at the bottom of the same, a discharge-chute, a slide movable between the opening and the chute, and an agitating device comprising a springloop carried by said slide and extending partially within the receptacle, said loop having a substantially circumferential movement within the receptacle during the reciprocating movement of the slide.

2. In a coin-controlled apparatus, a con tainingreceptacle,having a bottom dischargeopening, a discharge-chute, a slide adapted to be reciprocated between said opening and said chute, and an agitator carried by the slide projecting within the receptacle, said agitator comprising a loop of spring-wire having its opposite ends secured to the ends of said slide, said loop having a substantially circumferential movement within the receptacle during the reciprocating movement of the slide.

3. The combination in a coin-controlled apparatus, of the lower casing 5, a superposed goods containing receptacle having transparent sides and provided with a bottom opening, a table 16 situated in the upper portion of the casing 5 and having front and rear openings 18 and 20, a discharge-chute 19 communicating with said opening 18, a dischargeslide mounted on the table 16 and having a receiving-pocket movable into alinement with the receptacle-opening and with the opening IIO 18, an agitator 22 carried by said slide and our own we have hereto afixed our signatures projecting within the receptacle, said agitator in the presence of two witnesses. comprising a oircumferentially-movable loop L J SMITH of spring-wire, a rack 23 carried by said slide, J BRWN 5 a segment 24 engaging said rack, and means for operating said segment, substantially as Witnesses: specified. L. F. LANE,

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as F. E. MORRISON. 

